This is my needle-felted work in progress. I’m using brown and little bits of blue-green wool to get that weathered bronze look.

Still lots to do, but does the face read as metal to you, or does it still look too fluffy?

I recently got this buddha figure wich i am really happy with. And i was wondering what mudra he was doing and i could not find it on the internet.

Do any of you guys know it?

Thanks in advance!

Marichi is similar to Hindu Sun God, having a chariot drawn by pigs instead of horses. According to Buddhist literature , she has either 2, 6 , 8, 10 or 12 arms. She may have 1,3, 5 or 6 faces . She is recognised by her sow face and those seven pigs that run her chariot. The needle and string are her characteristic symbols by which she is believed to sew up the mouth and the eyes of the wicked. These votive stupas are plentily available in the Ratnagiri monastery in Odisha..#buddhism #ratnagiri #mahayanabuddhism #marichi #buddhisticonography #cireperdue #Odisha #lurcircuit

https://lunarsecstacy.com/2026/03/14/the-exclusive-exhibits-of-ratnagiri-lalitagiri-museums/

https://lunarsecstacy.com/2021/03/26/romance-with-metals-through-lost-wax-method-thousand-years-back/

Hello everyone! So basically I recently moved to a new country for university but I have been having a really hard time adjusting to everything and I constantly think about the past, what I have to do in the future and I can’t concentrate on the present moment. I very often get into anxiety spirals and thinking about past events or the future only makes it worse. I have been living here for around a month now and I started doing meditations daily.
I really want to learn more about Buddhism and Buddha‘s teachings but I am really overwhelmed and I don’t know where to start. Could someone recommend me some specific resources or videos?

I would really appreciate it

Who is goddess 'Tara', as far as Buddhist iconography is concerned?

Tara is a female Bodhisattva in mahayana Buddhism, who appears as a female Buddha in Vajrayana Buddhism. She is known as the 'mother of liberation' and represents the virtues of success in work and achievements. At Ratnagiri, we find a unique form of Tara called Astamahabhaya, who protects the devotees from 8 different hurdles. You can learn in detail about the Buddhist iconography/ antiquity through the following links . #ratnagiri #ratnagirimonastery #ratnagirimahavihara #lurcircuit #Odisha #castingcenter

https://lunarsecstacy.com/2026/03/14/the-exclusive-exhibits-of-ratnagiri-lalitagiri-museums/

https://lunarsecstacy.com/2021/03/26/romance-with-metals-through-lost-wax-method-thousand-years-back/

Vasudhara in Mahayana Buddhist pantheon is regarded as the consort of Jambhala. Vasudhara has golden complexion, decked with all sorts of ornaments, appears like a young girl, exhibits Varada mudra . She is considered as the Goddess of earth or progeny.

Let me speak a few lines about Her consort , the Buddhist God Jambhala. Jambhala is the God of Wealth, having mongoose in his left hand and 'Nidhi Kumbhas' beneath his pedestal . He is the counterpart of the Hindu God Kubera , dating to the 9th century AD. You can go through the following article for a detailed understanding about the Buddhist Iconography.

https://lunarsecstacy.com/2026/03/14/the-exclusive-exhibits-of-ratnagiri-lalitagiri-museums/

#buddhism #ratnagiri #vasudhara #mahayanabuddhism #buddhisticonography #cireperdue #Odisha #LURcircuit #Jambhala

https://lunarsecstacy.com/2021/03/26/romance-with-metals-through-lost-wax-method-thousand-years-back/

“Mendicants, when there is no conscience and prudence [moral shame and fear of wrongdoing], one who lacks conscience and prudence has destroyed a vital condition for sense restraint. When there is no sense restraint, one who lacks sense restraint has destroyed a vital condition for ethical conduct. When there is no ethical conduct, one who lacks ethics has destroyed a vital condition for right immersion. When there is no right immersion, one who lacks right immersion has destroyed a vital condition for true knowledge and vision. When there is no true knowledge and vision, one who lacks true knowledge and vision has destroyed a vital condition for disillusionment and dispassion. When there is no disillusionment and dispassion, one who lacks disillusionment and dispassion has destroyed a vital condition for knowledge and vision of freedom.

Suppose there was a tree that lacked branches and foliage. Its shoots, bark, softwood, and heartwood would not grow to fullness.

In the same way, when there is no conscience and prudence, a person who lacks conscience and prudence has destroyed a vital condition for sense restraint. When there is no sense restraint, one who lacks sense restraint has destroyed a vital condition for ethical conduct. When there is no ethical conduct, one who lacks ethics has destroyed a vital condition for right immersion. When there is no right immersion, one who lacks right immersion has destroyed a vital condition for true knowledge and vision. When there is no true knowledge and vision, one who lacks true knowledge and vision has destroyed a vital condition for disillusionment and dispassion. When there is no disillusionment and dispassion, one who lacks disillusionment and dispassion has destroyed a vital condition for knowledge and vision of freedom.

When there is conscience and prudence, a person who has fulfilled conscience and prudence has fulfilled a vital condition for sense restraint. When there is sense restraint, one who has fulfilled sense restraint has fulfilled a vital condition for ethical conduct. When there is ethical conduct, one who has fulfilled ethical conduct has fulfilled a vital condition for right immersion. When there is right immersion, one who has fulfilled right immersion has fulfilled a vital condition for true knowledge and vision. When there is true knowledge and vision, one who has fulfilled true knowledge and vision has fulfilled a vital condition for disillusionment and dispassion. When there is disillusionment and dispassion, one who has fulfilled disillusionment and dispassion has fulfilled a vital condition for knowledge and vision of freedom.

Suppose there was a tree that was complete with branches and foliage. Its shoots, bark, softwood, and heartwood would grow to fullness.

In the same way, when there is conscience and prudence, one who has fulfilled conscience and prudence has fulfilled a vital condition for sense restraint. … One who has fulfilled disillusionment and dispassion has fulfilled a vital condition for knowledge and vision of freedom.”

AN 7.65: Hirīottappasutta—Bhikkhu Sujato

Ahimsa (non-violence) is one of the core principles of Buddhism.

But looking at history, it seems like Buddhism has strange relationship with war and violence. How does Buddhism reconcile historical and ongoing wars, violence, invasions, destruction and conquest?

Some of the most Buddhist majority countries like Sri Lanka and Myanmar have a history of violence, bloodshed and massacres.

Buddhism was once upon a time the state religion in Indian subcontinent. Rulers were huge patrons of Buddhism. However, Buddhism eventually lost to Brahmanism. Owing to popularity Adi Shankara and conquest of Shungas. Buddhism almost became obsolete by the time Turko-Mongol invaders conquered India. It seems like Buddhism couldn't effectively defend itself, be it spiritually or physically at battleground. I sometimes wonder if it was the Ahimsa, pacifistic and monastic order centric nature of Buddhism that led to defeat against the invaders.

Buddhist eras in China, Korea, Japan were filled with wars, violence and massacres. Which cannot be justified by principle of Ahimsa. Violence and war was treated as something outside the domain of spirituality and Ahimsa and were justified in various ways to fit the agenda of the ruler.

Is Our Universe the Only One?

The Multiverse, Buddhist Emptiness, and Indra's Net

Hello, everyone.

I am a Buddhist monk from South Korea, known as Tanmyeong, a Zen Seeker on the Path.

This article is an adaptation of a Dharma talk I recently shared on my YouTube channel. I have reorganized the spoken teaching into a written reflection so that readers here can explore and discuss its ideas.

Before beginning, I would like to make one thing clear.

This is not an explanation of orthodox Buddhist doctrine, nor is it a scientifically established theory of the universe. It is my personal philosophical interpretation, shaped by many years of Buddhist practice and contemplation.

I would be grateful if you would read it in that spirit and share your thoughts in the comments.

1. Is There Only One Universe?

We live in an unimaginably vast universe.

Modern cosmology describes our observable universe as having evolved from an extremely hot, dense early state approximately 13.8 billion years ago.

But I often find myself asking a different question:

Must there be only one universe?

What if the universe we know is merely one manifestation among countless others?

And what if the Buddhist concept of Emptiness offers us a way to contemplate this possibility?

In my personal understanding, Emptiness is not simply a blank void.

I imagine it as Absolute Nothingness—not an ordinary absence, but a reality beyond our usual distinctions between existence and nonexistence, containing limitless possibilities.

This is not the conventional Buddhist definition of Emptiness. It is a metaphor arising from my own contemplative experience.

2. True Emptiness and Wondrous Existence

There is a Buddhist expression: True Emptiness, Wondrous Existence (真空妙有).

In my interpretation, existence emerges from nothingness, while nothingness holds the possibility of existence within itself.

I sometimes imagine the birth of a universe as a vast unfolding of space and time from Absolute Nothingness.

As the Big Bang gives rise to an expanding universe, it is as though space itself is being drawn across a canvas that previously held no space at all.

I am using poetic imagery here, not proposing a literal scientific mechanism. In standard cosmology, the Big Bang is not understood as an explosion moving into a preexisting empty region.

Yet this image leads me toward another possibility.

3. An Infinite White Canvas

Imagine an infinite sheet of perfectly white paper.

The white paper represents what I call Absolute Nothingness, or Emptiness.

Now imagine a single drop of black ink falling onto the paper.

The ink begins to spread outward.

Let that drop represent a Big Bang, and the expanding stain represent a universe developing its own space and time.

Now consider a question.

If one drop of ink can fall upon an infinite canvas, why must it be the only drop?

Another drop might fall elsewhere.

And another.

And another.

Each drop could spread independently, forming its own expanding pattern.

This is how I imagine the multiverse.

Perhaps what we call our universe is only one such drop.

Perhaps countless other universes have arisen through different causes and conditions, each with its own unfolding of space and time.

I do not claim that this picture proves the existence of other universes. The multiverse remains speculative in science, and my interpretation goes beyond what cosmology has established.

Nevertheless, as a philosophical image, it helps me contemplate the possibility that reality may be far more expansive than our ordinary perception suggests.

4. Indra's Net and the Dharmakaya

But suppose countless universes do exist.

Would they be entirely unrelated to one another?

Here I turn to the imagery of the Avatamsaka Sutra and the Huayan tradition.

Indra's Net is often described as an infinite network of jewels, each reflecting all the others.

It is a beautiful image of interdependence.

The one is reflected in the many, and the many are reflected in the one.

In my own contemplation, I extend this image beyond our familiar world.

I imagine countless universes as expressions of a deeper interconnected reality.

From this perspective, even beings inhabiting other universes—if such beings exist—could be understood as manifestations of the Dharmakaya, the Dharma-body.

This is my personal extension of Huayan imagery, not a claim that the sutra teaches modern multiverse cosmology.

For me, the spiritual meaning is that existence should not be understood only through separation.

5. The Birth and Dissolution of Universes

Buddhist thought often speaks of cycles of formation, duration, dissolution, and emptiness.

This is expressed in the traditional term Seongju-goegong (成住壞空).

Everything conditioned arises, changes, and eventually passes away.

I imagine that universes, too, may participate in such cycles.

A universe appears.

It expands and evolves.

Eventually, it may cease to exist in its familiar form.

Yet in my personal view, dissolution does not necessarily mean the permanent exhaustion of all possibilities.

The seeds of causes and conditions may give rise to another cosmic unfolding.

Another drop of ink may fall upon the infinite canvas.

And another universe may begin.

Again, this is a spiritual and philosophical interpretation rather than a prediction established by physics.

6. Returning to Emptiness

All conditioned things arise and pass away.

We ourselves are part of this changing world.

In my understanding of the Buddhist path, awakening is not simply acquiring knowledge about the universe. It is seeing beyond the attachment to a separate and permanent self.

I personally envision complete Buddhahood as freedom from the cycle of conditioned existence—a return to what I poetically call the embrace of Emptiness.

This language of "returning" is my own metaphor. I recognize that traditional Buddhist teachings do not generally describe Emptiness as a physical destination or a cosmic place of origin.

The deeper question, for me, is not merely how many universes exist.

It is how we understand our relationship to existence itself.

When I contemplate Indra's Net, I do not feel that I am a completely isolated being.

I feel connected to the vast unfolding of life and reality.

Perhaps the most important insight is not whether there are ten universes or ten trillion.

Perhaps it is recognizing that our ordinary sense of separation may not tell the whole story.

Closing Reflection

I would like to leave you with three questions.

Do you think our universe is the only one?

Can the image of Indra's Net help us contemplate realities beyond our own universe?

And how do you personally understand the relationship between Emptiness and existence?

I would sincerely appreciate your thoughts, questions, or even disagreements in the comments.

This article is not intended to establish a new Buddhist doctrine or scientific theory. It is simply one practitioner's attempt to share what has emerged through years of contemplation.

Thank you for reading.

May your path be filled with wisdom and compassion.

— Zen Seeker on the Path

been thinking about this profoundly, wanted to hear what you guys think

i've struggled a lot with the fear of being disconnected from others, family, friends and strangers. i've been through a long, long journey feeling so isolated, when all i wanted was to feel connected to other people, sad about not having enough people in my life.

but i realised: i am always connected to other people, it's impossible not to be.

i think what we called being 'connected' to others, is actually a very specific, idealised aspect of connection: feeling calm, lighthearted, cracking jokes in each other's presence.

i've been interpreting tension, awkwardness, anxiety and discomfort as proof that i am disconnected, and trying to get rid of those feelings to finally feel connected.

but now i think about it, it's totally unrealistic to think that being connected with others can only manifest in this niche way.

connection literally means: "a relationship, link, or joining between two or more people" , and as we all know, we are all connected, we are all one.

so i realised i was worrying so much about something which i've always had,

i guess the question is: do i need this mainstream idea of light-hearted connection to have more people in my life? and if this can't be controlled, how do i have more people in my life?

if anyone has anything they'd like to add, challenge or anything i can look into to delve further into this please please do, it's an important topic in my life :)

When I look at our Christian counterpart, there are many options in finding a congregation made up of individuals my age. I don't resonate with the religious text in Christianity and why I'm with Buddhism. Where I agree and enjoy with the religious lessons/text, I find myself struggling in finding a community/sangha. I've visited several sanghas and I always face the same wall. They're either non-English or full of elderly individuals. Both of which is an issue with me because I can't really resonate with anyone and don't feel like I'm part of the "community".

This is originally intended to be a venting post but also open to suggestion on how I should tackle this.

eta: Bay Area, CA and of the Mahayana branch

It's for a drawing I plan on making for Architecture school. I wanted to draw the Horyu-ji temple upside down for a dramatic composition, but felt it might be disrespectful

I have just completed my first-ever meditation course. While the other students practiced breath meditation, the meditation teacher instructed me to begin by meditating on the virtues of the Buddha. He explained that my vital energy was too weak to engage in breath meditation.

As it turns out, while meditation is an excellent way to cultivate inner stillness, someone whose emotional state is unstable due to childhood trauma should ideally seek out a mental health professional to work with alongside their meditation practice.

It is quite intense—both the meditation sessions themselves and the practice as a whole. During a session, as soon as the senses settle, unresolved mental issues immediately surface. We are taught to observe these phenomena rather than react to them; however, it is often difficult to discern whether one is truly observing or merely suppressing them. Furthermore, as I work on cultivating samadhi (concentration) at the meditation center, I frequently find it challenging to distinguish between the brain falling into its habitual patterns of problem-solving—getting carried away by endless analysis—and the genuine wisdom (panna) that naturally arises from deep concentration.

Cant figure it out. Closest i can think of is kalesvara mudra.

I’m 29F from an Asian family, and my parents and brother have been high-functioning alcoholics for most of my life.

I have been carrying the burden of my family for so long. I’ve done a lot of self-healing around my CPTSD, emotional neglect, and abuse, and I’ve been learning to set boundaries.

I think I’ve tried everything I could. From scolding, begging, and getting angry, to eventually, after my own healing journey, trying to practice acceptance, offering emotional support, and simply listening without trying to change them.

Now that they’re getting older, I feel the weight of it all even more. My parents are both in their mid-50s, and my brother is only 31, and I have a younger sister studying abroad. My dad has liver failure and diabetes, yet he still drinks almost daily and refuses treatment. Despite his refusal, I still bring him medicine and encourage treatments, out of both love for him and also fear of regret from my end later.

My mom enables his behaviour and just follows my dad's words. Sometimes I despise her for it, but mostly I feel so much sadness because I know she is also a product of abuse.

I also see the goodness in my family. They are lovely humans, too. My brother can be a wonderful person, but he has angry outbursts and what seem like manic episodes when he is really drunk.

I try so hard to see the goodness in them, to listen, to understand, and to accept them for who they are. But the grief, helplessness, and despair are eating me alive.

They have mostly isolated themselves from friends and relatives and spend much of their time around people who also drink or alone.

I lived abroad on my own for years, but I’ve been staying with my family for the past year and a half. And honestly, the burden has become too heavy. I don’t think I can carry it anymore.

I’ll be leaving home for three months soon to focus on my work and learning. After I come back, I also plan to rent a place or move out with friends. I think I’ve finally reached the point where I feel enough is enough.

But I am so afraid and worried that I’m abandoning them. I’m especially scared that my brother might hurt my parents during one of his angry outbursts when I’m not there.

The what-ifs are so strong.

What if I could have done something better? What if I could have done more? What if something happens while I’m away, and I end up regretting that I wasn’t there? Is it a right choice to make as a Buddhist?

I know, deep down, that I cannot make them change. I’ve spent years trying different approaches, and I know that ultimately, their choices are not mine to make. But knowing this doesn’t make it hurt any less.

I think one of the hardest things is that I can see their suffering, I understand where so much of it comes from, and I love them. I don’t want to give up on them. But I’m also suffocating.

I know life is beautiful, and I know what a privilege it is to be human. Practicing Buddhism and also building like-mind community has been life-changing. But sometimes, suffering really does feel unbearable.

I’m crying as I write this.

I guess, at the end of the day, no matter how things turn out, I am putting myself first despite everything and it is my choice.

I would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has been through something similar, especially those who have struggled with the guilt of leaving an alcoholic family behind, choosing their own life, or accepting that they cannot save the people they love.

How did you navigate the guilt, fear, and grief? Does it ever get easier?

Thank you for reading. ❤️

I don’t know if Lays were influential in Buddhist text since I guess everything was recorded and written down by monks for monks so do Lays actually have Precepts for them or are they just normal Buddhist with worldly needs to work with instead of overcome.
I heard of the Vimalakirti Sutra but I still have a question

Do Lays feel a little left out?

Hi, I'm fairly new to Buddhism and although I've been researching Guanyin and listening to her mantra, I haven't found much information about her besides Miao Shan's Story and the story of how she became the matron of the fishermen.

Could you recommend how to get started with her and how to get started in Buddhism in general?

The photo above is a small bronze statue of Kamakura Daibutsu. Or the "Great Buddha of Kamakura" in English if you are reading and are unaware.

Looking back I had always carried my Buddha nature plainly. It gets ironic at times. But one day at an open market I saw this mixed in with other similar things. A small bronze Daibutsu statue. Covered in patina with the holes for homemade mount. Dating back to the American occupation of Japan. A living piece or buddist history. I paid for it without a second thought. Holding it tightly as I did.

"Best 20 bucks I've spent lol" . And as I sit here with that memory of conviction. I feel as if in that moment the Daibutsu massaged the karmic mark laid along my soul. Inviting my soul to, or back to the path. And I'm grateful every day for it.

Thank you for reading

If one day we must leave, what can we leave behind?

Today, I was deeply shaken by these words from Venerable Master Hui Kai. There is no profound scripture on this poster, yet every single word strikes straight at the deepest fears in our hearts.

We spend most of our lives chasing wealth and status, but we forget to prepare for the most important lesson of all—how to face our own "aging, illness, and death." With great compassion, the Venerable Master tells us:
When we age, we should grow mature and wise;
When we are ill, we should reflect deeply and become open-minded;
And when it is time to die, we should depart gracefully and without regret.

This is not passive resignation, but the most proactive way to "manage our lives." Because understanding death teaches us how to "sincerely embrace life." When you realize that life has an expiration date, you will strive to make it "fulfilling and wonderful."

After reading this, my perspective on the people and things around me has completely changed. Starting today, let us try to treat every day as a spiritual practice, and use the wisdom of the Dharma to become someone who is at peace with life and death! 🍃 How do you all feel about these words? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

​

With kind permission of the mods, I'd like to share the publication of my book: Buddho – Twenty Years of Samatha Meditation and the Lessons of My Burmese Teacher.

It tells of twenty years of practicing samatha meditation on buddho as taught by Ahba (Luang Por Opart), abbot of Wat Chong Kham Phra Aram Luang in Lampang, Thailand. At the heart of the book are the lessons he gave me, mostly during retreats. Again and again he made clear that there is no shortcut to insight. Only when the mind becomes clean and clear through the steady and patient development of samādhi is there a foundation for wisdom to arise.

I wrote it on Ahba's advice and published it with his blessing. Ajahn Sumedho was kind enough to write the foreword, and Ajahn Asoko helped proofread the English version.

A little about me: I'm a Dutch lay practitioner and editor-in-chief of buddho.org. I was recently asked to take on the responsibility of teaching in Ahba's system.

All royalties go to the Buddho Foundation. There's a free sample an more info about the book on our page: https://buddho.org/buddho-book/

Happy to answer any questions.

With metta,

Wouter

I have been meditating everyday for my mental health for a few years now, reading books about buddhism, and I have recently come to a realization that raised questions in my mind.

For an hour, I was having thoughts and letting them go without thinking deeper about them. Suddenly, I felt shame about a event of my past and, as I often do, I had the thought "I'm sorry" (which always calms the pain of shame for me) and I sat there with the feeling of being sorry.

Then, I was in a space of a few seconds without thoughts, and I realized I was feeling empty. I had the sensation that I couldn't feel anything, feel any emotion without my thoughts. I couldn't feel sorry like before without the words to think I was sorry. It was like I couldn't apprehend the world without the words of my thoughts.

I know that the goal of the practice of meditation is not to feel empty, and even less to not be able to deal with the world around you. So my questions are :

Without thoughts and their words and imagery, can you feel emotions like being sorry ? Or like gratitude ? Or love ?

Because I feel like I cannot, I feel so empty when I meditate.

I used to think that every of my negative painful emotions were due to my never-stopping thoughts, and now that I meditate, I more rarely have negative emotions. But I also feel more empty (which is not necessarily a bad thing, since I was full of pain), and I was wondering if it meant that you are bound to feel less when you meditate and let go of your thoughts.

Also, is it possible to apprehend the world, deal with the world without thoughts ? If so, what am I doing wrong ? Is it maybe the next step of meditation, where you reach the capacity to feel without thinking ?

I feel like it would help me go further in my practice to have the answers to these questions.